Question 2 essay answer for evaluation of advanced portfolio products

4. The combination of my three media products are effective as they use similar typography and a consistent house
style. I chose to use the conventional purple that is used on the E4 channel so that my poster and video were
conventional products that look like they are produced for E4. By using the same type of typography, the products
look more aesthetically pleasing as the font (American Typewriter) is the same on both the text and logo. On the other
hand, the magazine uses a larger range of fonts with bright reds and yellows, but this would be different to the poster
and TV advert as the magazine company has no relation to E4, so wouldn't use the same conventions. I did tie them
together however by using the same name (Memory Lane) on the front page of my magazine as used in the trailer and
poster to ensure that my audience can tell that the magazine article does have some relation to my other two media
products.
I decided to use the same characters in each media product, as this makes them look more effective because it is
easier to recognise the characters and where they are from. By using similar shots of the characters in both the trailer
and poster, my audience can recognise them even if they haven’t actually watched the soap because they still know
where the characters are from due to the trailer. The magazine also uses a mid shot of the male character Jamie which
shows him pulling a similar facial expression as he is in the other two media products. This combines my three
products together as the audience can recognise that they are all about Memory Lane as the characters are featured
that they will have already seen. This is similar to other media products, such as Hollyoaks who feature posters with
only a small number of characters as the audience will recognise them from the latest story, instead of featuring all
the characters which could be overwhelming. Magazines will also only feature some of the news of what is going on in
the soap as this is what the audience already know about from watching it and will be interested in finding out more.

5. My research showed me that the soap genre usually features a lot of drama and murder mystery to keep the
audience engaged. Using this research, I tried to connote the drama through the use of text and images. In my
magazine cover, I used the words 'bad boy' and 'top secret' to connote the genre and mystery of the murder that the
audience have seen take place in the trailer. I also used the words 'guilty pleasure' which connoted both a play on
words that the audience like the character but shouldn't and also related to the theme of crime as Jamie is seen
taking a prison mugshot in front of a measurement wall.
The voiceover in the trailer says 'You never know what goes on behind closed doors' and this is also featured in my
poster, which adds to the drama because the tagline is very personal, using the pronoun 'you' that hooks the
audience. By including it in both the poster and trailer, the audience can identify that the products are linked.
In order to make my products more effective, I decided to convey the relationship between my three products even
clearer to the audience by using colour grading and white balance. In the trailer, poster and magazine I used colour
grading to make the images appear paler. In the trailer, I used colour grading to make the scenes appear pale and
dull to connote the genre to the audience. The colours also relate to the narrative featured in the soap, as the
murder is dark and mysterious. The magazine cover uses pale greys and I used Photoshop to take the artificial
lighting effect out of the photo, changing it from a golden yellow to a pale white, which also connotes the genre and
dramatic narrative from the soap. I also changed the saturation, brightness and contrast to make the colour appear
paler and the black background darker. I also changed the colour of Leahs skin to make her look pale to connote the
narrative to the audience. By using a similar colour effect in all three of my products, I am able to combine my
products together by representing the same dramatic soap genre and conventional narratives used.

6. To make my media products and ancillary tasks more effective, I decided to use the same mise en scene in both my trailer and my
poster. In my trailer the characters can be seen underage drinking and taking drugs, as well as being affected by the murder of a
young girl. In my poster, I featured similar props including a beer can and drugs, as well as the gun used by Jamie in the murder of
Leah and some money and cigarettes showing how out of control Jamie is as a character. I also featured some similar props like a
photograph of men and his mother when they were little to also connote narrative and background from characters and why they
are the way they are. By using these similar props, I can combine both my products as the audience will be familiar with the events
of the soap trailer and the props in the poster. However, the magazine does not use any props, but the characters featured and the
theme is still similar, as Jamie's image appears as a mugshot from prison, relating to the crime in the trailer.
The costumes worn by the characters are also similar. The costumes the characters are wearing in the trailer connote their
character types to the audience, so it is important that they dress similar in all my ancillary tasks so that they are represented in the
same way to make them more effective. In the trailer Ben can be seen wearing a tracksuit and a small sports bag. He is also wearing
a similar type of hoodie in the poster. This costume represents him as a stereotypical chav, a character type that the audience is
familiar with. The character Sophie is also dressed similarly in the poster and trailer. She can been wearing fashionable, expensive
clothes like a fluffy gilet and she has pink flowers in her hair and lipstick on. This connotes that she is very girly and is now enjoying
earning money by having a job unlike some of the younger characters. Jamie is dressed similar in two of the ancillary tasks. In the
trailer he is seen wearing a coat with his hood up concealing his identity and on the magazine cover he is wearing a grey top to
connote his dark personality. This is effective as it shows the audience what he is like without actually having to set the scene,
helping the audience to understand the character better and setting some history to the soap so the audience can understand what
this character could bring to the soap.
In order to show the combination of products in more detail, I also featured a number of similar shots showing the same facial
expressions for Jamie in each product. By presenting this character in the same way in each product, the audience are able to see
the connection between all three products and recognise the character.

7. My main product and ancillary tasks are effective as they all work together promote my trailer. All three of my
products express a positive opinion on the soap, and the magazine article works to promote the genre and narrative
featured in the poster and trailer.
Magazine interview promotes ‘secrets of memory lane’
Poster ancillary 2 promotes relatability, depth of content

8. Improvements:
• Use titles to improve contentions
• Costumes
• Props used on magazine cover